1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to water dispensers, and in particular, to drinking water dispensers for bottled water in which the bottle remains below the dispensing port during operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bottled drinking water is widely used in offices and homes throughout the world. The water coolers and dispensers predominantly in use consist of a stand for holding the water bottle in an inverted position, a reservoir, a faucet and tubing to couple the faucet to the reservoir. Typically the stands are several feet high and the water bottle is placed in an inverted position on the top of the stand. The water bottles vary in size, but typically can hold three to six gallons of water. Loading the bottle of water onto the stand requires removing the cap from the bottle, lifting the bottle to a height greater than the stand, inverting the bottle and placing it on the stand. Since a gallon of water weighs over eight pounds, a standard five gallon water bottle can weigh up to 50 pounds. Thus, simply loading the water bottle on the stand can be difficult and in some cases impossible for many individuals. In addition to the inconvenience of placing the bottle on the stand, there is significant risk of injury or breakage from lifting the unwieldly water bottle. During the inversion and placement of the water bottle on the stand, water often spills which creates further inconvenience and risk of injury. Thus, there is a need for a water dispensing system that eliminates the dangers and difficulties associated with water dispensers using inverted water bottles.
Water dispensing systems directed to this problem are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,030,634 and 4,174,743 to Osborne and Beny, et al., respectively. These patents disclose retrofit devices for standard water dispensers designed to eliminate the need to place the water bottle on the stand in an inverted position. However, while eliminating the need to lift a bottle of water for use, these devices have added problems. One problem is the inability of these devices to remove all water from the bottle. Small amounts of water remaining in the bottle are wasted and an inconvenience to the user. The sanitary condition of the dispenser also continues to be a problem. When replacing water bottles, the tubing that siphons water from the bottle must be removed from the empty bottle and inserted into the full replacement bottle. Neither device provides a sanitary holder for the tube, thus the tube may contact the floor or other unsanitary surfaces during the bottle replacement process. A further problem is control of the pump required to transport the water from the water bottle to the reservoir. Once the bottle is empty, the pump continues to run wasting electricity and creating unwanted noise. Moreover, the pump may continue to run for extended periods of time because the devices do not clearly indicate when the bottle is empty and only indicate that the pump is running. Finally, the devices of Osborne and Beny, et al., do not provide a compact sized dispensing system including refrigeration which allows facile transport within existing bottle distribution systems.
Another problem with water dispensing systems of the prior art is that the dispensers are difficult to clean, repair and refurbish. Since the dispensers output water for human consumption, the ability to maintain the dispensers in a proper sanitary condition is critical. However, the dispensers presently available are difficult to disassemble for cleaning and other maintenance. This is particularly important because the dispensers are commonly leased by bottled water companies to households or businesses. The lease period averages less than a year and the dispensers often require refurbishing before they can be leased again.